Dharamshala — A senior Tibetan Buddhist monk, also former chant master of Tsennyi Monastery in Amchok township, north-eastern Tibet, was released after completing nine-year prison sentence, for involving in widespread peaceful protests in 2008.
Tsultrim Gyatso, 52, former chant master at Achok Tsenyi Monastery, was released from Mianyang Prison in Sichuan Province, on April 1, 2017, sources told TPI on April 2nd, adding that on the same day, he arrived home, where he received a warm welcome by his fellow monks and locals.
Gyatso, chant master of Tsenyi Monastery in Amchok Township, Sangchu County of north-eastern Tibet, (Ch: Gansu province in north-central China), was arrested in 2008 following his involvement in the widespread protests in Tibet against China's repression.
On 16 and 17 March 2008, Gyatso and around 1000 monks from Tsenyi Monastery staged a protest outside the offices of the local Chinese authorities. On the night of 18 March, armed Chinese security forces stormed the Monastery and arrested Gyatso along with four other monks were detained and sentenced to varying terms under the charges of carrying out 'separatist activities'.
Gyatso was later charged for spearheading the protest and sentenced to nine years in prison by the Barkham County Intermediate People's Court. Ludrup Tendar, 43, was sentenced to 7 years. He was released in 2015 after completing his sentence term. Whereas monk Sonam was released a year after his detention. Monk Ludrup Yeshe, 33, sentenced to 13 years and six months and Ludrup Phuntsok, 23, was sentenced to 13 years and is believed to be serving their sentence terms in prison.
Gyatso arrived home April 1st, receiving a warm welcome from locals, include his families, fellow monks and intellectuals. 'He is believed to have joined back to his monastery on April 3, 2017,' sources said, speaking under condition of anonymity.
In a latest photo after his release from Chinese prison, Gyatso can be seen with former Tibetan political prisoner and fellow monk Ludrup Tendar and Tibetan intellectual Jangles Dhonkho aka "Nyen". He was born in 1966 to Dawatsang family, Camp no. 2 of Abhoe village in Meruma Township, Ngaba County, Tibet.
Tibet was invaded by Communist China in 1949. Since that time, over 1.2 million out of 6 million Tibetans have been killed, over 6000 monasteries have been destroyed and acts of murder, rape, arbitrary imprisonment, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment were inflicted on the Tibetans inside Tibet. Beijing continues to call this a "peaceful liberation".
